Studies in pre-clinical models of efficacy show significant enhancement in corneal re-epithelialization and wound closure following ethanol-induced corneal burn injuries in diabetic rats, as compared with controls. This project will involve further development and safety studies of ACT1, a potential therapeutic compound for diabetic keratopathy. The team is collaborating on the completion of the following studies on ACT1: - Formulation development - Pharmacokinetic/absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (PK/ADME) studies - Investigational New Drug (IND)-directed toxicology